GLOBAL WRITERS BUREAU ENGLISH GRAMMAR & WRITING STYLE COURSE
LESSON 2
The verb is the most important part of speech. In any sentence, without the verb – a finite verb – there cannot be a sentence. A verb is said to be finite when it takes a subject, to find the subject of a verb, we ask “who?” or “what?” in front of it:
- The large man walks. (Who walks?)
- Jean was hurt. (Who was hurt?)
- It will have been found. (What will have been found?)
- The old barn is creaking. (What is creaking?)
So a sentence must always contain at least two words, a verb and its subject word. Without these there can be no sentence. Length is no guide. Note that, as in (3) above, a verb may contain as many as four words – “will have been found.”
Note that the subject words in the above examples (man, Jean, it, barn) are nouns or pronouns. This is always the case.
Example 2:
Decide whether the following groups of words are sentences or not:
- I work. (A- yes) (B- no)
- Taken by surprise at dusk in a little-frequented quarter of the city. (A- no) (B-yes)
- To make an important decision and carry it out with determination and effort. (A- no) (B- yes)
- The boy was taken by surprise. (A- no) (B- yes)
GLOBAL WRITERS BUREAU ENGLISH GRAMMAR & WRITING STYLE COURSE
LESSON 3
- John drives.
- John is driven.
In (1) above the subject (John) is the doer of the action. Thereafter the verb is said to be active. In (2) the subject receives the action, and the verb is passive. Active verbs can take objects. To find the object if any) of a verb, we ask, “whom?” or “what?” after the verb:
- John drives an old car. (Drives what?)
- Julie assisted me. (Assisted whom?)
Note that object words (car, me) are, like subject words, always nouns or pronouns. So, when nouns or pronouns appear in sentences, they are very often subject words or object words. Otherwise they are usually following prepositions – in which case they are said to be governed by prepositions they follow:
In the water, after dinner, of anger, with a smile
Exercise 3:
Decide (in correct order) the task performed by the nouns and pronouns in the following sentences:
- He took the dog for a walk.
(A- subject, governed by preposition, object)
(B-subject, object, governed by preposition)
- Out of the house came she.
(A- subject, object)
(B-governed by preposition, subject)
- A box of nails has disappeared.
(A-subject, governed by preposition)
(B-subject, object)
- What shall we do?
(A-subject, object)
(B- object, subject)
